Study on Maximum Efficiency Rate Test on Gas Injection Well

Abstract

Some reservoirs may be unable to sustain the life of a well over a period of time due to declining primary energy and subsequent decrease in production even with sufficient oil recoverable in place. One strategy to address this is to deploy associated gas re-injection process that would provide sustainable energy in place. The performance of this re-injection process is controlled by the level of safety as well as the volume of gas injectate which help ensure optimal recovery of the hydrocarbon fluids. In this work, a real case study of field X based on Maximum Efficiency Rate Test (MERT) was carried out at three different gas re-injection rates (expressed in percentages - 25% , 50% and 75%, respectively). Results show that the maximum rate at which the hydrocarbon fluids can be produced without damaging the reservoir’s natural energy is 50%. It was also found that above the maximum efficiency rate (MER), natural pressure of the reservoir declined, thus creating potential for water breakthrough and reducing ultimately recoverable hydrocarbon fluids. Overall, the best percentage of the gas injectate at which hydrocarbon fluids flow optimally is established.

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